


Tales from the Apartment, Part III

by Mocha (whostolemypenname)



Series: Tales from the Apartment [3]
Category: Half Life Trilogy - Sally Green
Genre: Kissing in the Rain, M/M, possible vague suicide triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 00:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4284504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whostolemypenname/pseuds/Mocha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nathan is standing in the rain out on the terrace, looking down on the people. Gabriel joins him- Nabriel ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tales from the Apartment, Part III

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Fall Out Boy's 'The Kids Aren't Alright'. Possible suicide triggers.

Nathan is standing on the terrace, looking down at the people who come and go through Geneva, all wrapped up in the beautiful havoc of their humdrum, blissfully normal lives. He liked to stand out here sometimes to try and calm his seething thoughts, just to watch the people come and go, come and go, come and go. There were a number of regulars, making a daily or even weekly trek from one place to another. God knows he spent enough time trying to clear his head. He had started to recognise people from above- the man with the bald spot who got into his car around 9:00 each morning, and returned around 11:00; the lady with the long, blonde hair who came to the small shop each Friday evening. Sometimes she wore a black, woollen hat. Nathan preferred it when she wore the hat. She looked too much like Annalise otherwise. Sometimes, like today, they used umbrellas, a twisting sea of black, spiny, fabric circles, each jostling past each other on their own errands, the meaning of which was lost to Nathan. He may hold the seat of God, looking down on these people, but Nathan didn’t have His wisdom. If He was up there at all. If anyone was.

For a moment, he began to wonder what would happen if he just leant forwards and tumbled off the balcony. He could see his body falling, hitting the pavement with a thud and a series of cracks. There was silence for a moment, an abyss of black silence, so dark that it could almost be seen. Then came the screams. Often the woman with the long, blonde hair, sometimes the man with the bald spot. There were any number of locals he could choose from, and every time his mind wandered down this shadowy path, there were a different combination of people. There was only one constant, standing in the background as this drama played out: Gabriel.

The thought of Gabriel jarred Nathan from this vision of his death, this third-person suicide playing out in his mind. _Gabriel wouldn’t want me to think about this_ , he told himself dully, not even noticing how often the thought of Gabriel pulled him from thoughts of suicide, or how often it was necessary for him to do so. He sank to his knees, mindless of the ache that came every time he knelt down on the hard, wooden boards of the terrace. He didn’t hear Gabriel’s footsteps as the smaller man came up behind him. He never did. The first thing Nathan knew of his presence was when he squatted down next to him. Nathan didn’t bother to turn his head, even when Gabriel threw a towel around his shoulders.

‘You’re soaking wet. You should come inside.’ Nathan had barely noticed the rain pouring from the sky. He gave a short, unfriendly, non-committal grunt to indicate that yes, he knew Gabriel was there and yes, he probably should go inside, but he wasn’t about to do anything soon. ‘Come on. Mercury would never forgive me if I let you get pneumonia.’ It wasn’t just Mercury who wouldn’t be able to forgive Gabriel, but he didn’t mention that. Something best kept to himself, he reckoned.

Nathan could feel a burning in his throat. It spread into his mouth, along his tongue, up into his cheeks. He scowled at himself for blushing like this. He was thirsty. He didn’t want the water pouring down in sheets around him, though. He was thirsty for something, and as Gabriel got up, Nathan suddenly realised what it was. Nathan stood up so quickly that Gabriel instinctively twisted round to see what was wrong before one step brought Nathan crashing into his chest. The younger man flung his arms around Gabriel’s neck and pulled him closer, thrusting his head forward, their lips smashing against each other. Nathan held the smaller man tightly, keeping him close, kissing him savagely. Nathan pushed their lips open and was mildly surprised to find that it was Gabriel’s tongue in _his_ mouth, exploring the contours of his mouth the way Nathan had discovered the mountains of Wales, but this was so much better because he was kissing Gabriel and Gabriel was kissing _him_ , their bodies mashed together, and Gabriel’s arms were around Nathan’s torso and their hearts were beating hard, pushing blood to places that had never felt so sensitive and vibrantly _alive_ , fingers and lips that felt as if they were sparkling as they welded themselves to the other man, holding them close as though there was nothing else quite so good in the world.

* * *

It seemed like hours later that they were on the balcony, lying on the wet sheepskins. The rain was pouring down, but for Nathan it couldn’t compare to the dry fire, the  _thirst_ that burned inside him. He was on his side, looking into Gabriel’s eyes. He could see them clearly now, no need for the tinted glass that had always hung between them. They were beautiful.

‘We don’t have to go to Mercury.’ Nathan’s eyes snapped downwards to focus on Gabriel’s lips as he spoke.

‘What do you mean? Of course we have to go to Mercury. _I_ have to go, to receive my Gifts.’ Nathan could see Gabriel’s lips press ever-so-slightly closer together as he prepared to speak.

‘It’s our time now. We don’t need any of them. Fuck them all.’ Gabriel’s voice was bitter, pleading. Nathan was reminded of a wild animal, caged by humans, but always watching for an opportunity to get free, to strike back, to escape from this manufactured hell. ‘When you get your gifts, we’ll never be truly equal. We can just leave this place, live like Fains. I’ve seen you watching them. You always seem…a bit- well, almost _wistful_. I’ve got money- we can go, make a new life for ourselves. You don’t have to risk your life like this, to be hunted forever. _We_ don’t have to live like that.’

Nathan was silent for a long time. ‘Gabriel,’ he said eventually. ‘As far as the Council is concerned, all I’ll ever be is Marcus’ son. They’ll always be hunting me, and even if I decide to work with them and kill Marcus, they’ll kill me as soon as I’m not useful to them anymore. I _need_ these powers, Gabriel, I need them just to survive. I’ve been waiting for my seventeenth birthday for longer than anyone should have to, because that’s the day that I’ll finally have a chance to be able to defend myself against everyone that wants me dead. And it’s a long list.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Nathan looks back to Gabriel’s eyes, and he is ashamed to see them filled with tears. Nathan was ashamed for what he’d said, what he’d done to Gabriel. ‘I’m sorry, Nathan. I should never have asked.’

‘ _No_ ,’ Nathan said, his voice forceful. ‘Don’t- _never_ apologise. It’s not your fault I have to live this life. Blame Marcus, blame the Council, blame Mercury, but _never_ blame yourself. Otherwise…it all gets to be too much to handle.’ He leans forward to press a gentle kiss to Gabriel’s lips, the fire in his throat flaring slightly, feeling that delicious rush in his veins, twisting his head just a bit too thin. ‘But…I’d be honoured to go through this hell with you at my side,’ Nathan murmured into the smooth lips. Gabriel twisted, pushing Nathan away from him as he rolled on top of the larger man, their mouths still pressed against each other. Nathan chuckled, and Gabriel could feel the vibration against his chest. When they broke apart for air, Nathan managed to gasp, ‘I’ll take that as a yes.’ Nathan’s mind flashed briefly to the old, yellowed photographs, hanging on the damp-stained walls in the old apartment. _They’re all dead_ , he thought to himself. _And one day, Gabriel and I will end up like them. But until then, let’s_ live.

**Author's Note:**

> A little thing I felt like writing because I didn't have my plot notes to continue Part I. I'll try to upload some more of that soon.


End file.
